It may all be about personal preference, but
certainly one car, or one era can be enough to bring
several demographics together. For Peifer, the
golden era of cars was the 1930s. For Dimilo, 1968 to
1971 saw the peak in the automotive industry. While
he says coolness still runs in the Big Three’s veins
today, the best is still in the past.
“Today they’re building cars trying to copy what
they did 50 years ago,” says Dimilo as he points to a
picture of his Dodge Charger and laughs. “How do
you mess with that? It’s perfect.”
The shell of the classic muscle car may have
been perfect, but technology has made car
performances superior to what they may have been
previously. Wiebe says it’s commonplace for people
to come in to Nutek with a desire to see their classic
cars receive a modern fuel injection.
"(Today), you can get fuel efficiency, you can get
35 miles to a gallon," says Wiebe. "It used to be if
you wanted to go fast you had to be inefficient. Now,
comfort, efficiency and performance all come into
one package. You get the best of both worlds.”
With Japanese competition in the 1980s, auto
companies in the U.S. made efficiency their priority
at the expense of creating classic models. The result
is that today people would rather have a classic
1960s Chevrolet Chevelle than a classic 1980s
Chevrolet Cavalier. But the coolness factor is making
a comeback in today's automotive industry, with
examples like the Hellcat Challengers and SRT
Chryslers.
There's also the freedom that comes in knowing
that the roads are yours for the taking. Wiebe's 1968
Firebird offered him his first fresh air of
opportunity, cruising around Essex County with his
friends in the very car that confirmed his entry into
adulthood. For Piefer, an avid motorcyclist, the same
euphoria is felt every time he travels to different
competitions. "It makes you feel like you're 100 per
cent in control of your own destiny," he says.
But it’s also a way to become involved in a
community and grow a social network as well.
Piefer regularly receives visitors asking questions
about the correct way to install a steering box in a
1932 Ford. For several years now, Dimilo has
showcased his Charger in Leamington's annual
Christmas parade, with its own specially marked
see-through box, a Hot Wheels logo imprinted on
the side. He collected his trophy for first place at
Detroit's Autorama in 2009.
Casa Chavela
Gifts & Clothing From Around the World
With A Fair Trade Perspective
Tapestries
u
Masks
u
Jewellery
u
Incense
Spiritual Accessories such as
Singing Bowls u Tingshas
Hand-carved Buddhas u Smudging Supplies
405 Pelissier St. Windsor
519-254-6865
Like our new Facebook page
facebook.com/casachavela519
and follow us on Instagram